"I write because I want to inspire you. I hope to inspire all of my young friends who take the time to read these chapters. When you read these words, attend to them with more than your eyes or ears. If greatness is your desire, then listen with your spirit."
Here is another book in the First Nations Book for Young Readers series. It provides a background for some of the stars and upcoming stars from the aboriginal community. There are ten artists and I would like to tell you a bit about each one of them.
Michael Bucher: 'As a musician pursuing his calling later than most, Michael feels blessed. With passion and determination, and inspired by the teachings of his elders, he has brought about awareness of the sacred sites and burial grounds of Native Americans. He also has given the world some amazing music.'
Mary Youngblood: 'For Mary the music business has been a wild ride, from the early days of her childhood when she first began to dream big dreams, to having the privilege of working with well-known and respected musicians, to the ultimate honor of twice receiving the most prestigious music award from her fellow musicians.'
Crystal Shawanda: 'Every time she gets on stage, it takes her back to dancing at powwows, when dancing to the beat and stomping on the ground made her close to Mother Earth.'
Blackfire: 'It was such an amazing experience to be in front of your peers to express your creative insights. It really shaped a lot of our messages and the direction that we wanted to go. We wanted to see positive change and affect things in a positive way to help our families, relatives and neighbors.'
Leela Gilday: ' She thinks it is very important that Native stories are told, and the artists - each one with a unique voice - are the ones responsible for telling them. She is very clear about it: "It is my job."'
Four Rivers Drum: ' But everyone is welcome. Everyone in the group is loved, respected, and honored equally. Four Rivers Drum lives and sings to the truest and highest spirit of the drum. The ancestors must be very proud.'
Jamie Coon: 'As she strives to maintain her growing status as a working artist, Jamie knows there will always be obstacles. But she believes that obstacles make her better, and she doesn't let them stop her from striving to succeed.'
Mato Nanji: 'We are still working on breaking out and going international. I still am excited about doing that. We have been doing a lot more concert dates, and slowly we are getting to where we want to be worldwide.'
Shane Yellowbird: 'His fans know that Shane is a great singer and someone who connects strongly with his heritage. What they don't know about him is that he is a huge practical joker, especially with his bandmates.'
Gabriel Ayala: 'Gabriel still finds time to teach classical guitar to students as young as six and as old as seventy. He also promotes Native culture through traditional singing and dancing and has received awards in Arizona for being a positive role model for Native youth.'
There you have it, ten honored musicians who share their love of music, their traditions and teachings with their audiences. To find out more, you will have to read this book and check the Internet.
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